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One might excuse Oliver Glasner for preferring to spend a restful period with his family in Austria ahead of Christmas, rather than preparing for Crystal Palace's 29th game of the season—a Carabao Cup last-eight clash against Arsenal. Yet, the suggestion that Palace might prioritize other tournaments was swiftly dismissed by their head coach.

"No, I don't think so," stated Glasner after his team's side's four-one loss to Leeds. "If somebody tells me that we lose deliberately, the following day I'm no longer the manager any more."

There exists a clear difference in Glasner's approach to cup competitions compared to his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This initially was evident during Palace's run to the League Cup quarter-finals in his debut complete campaign in command. Under Hodgson, the team had previously been eliminated from each of the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup by the time Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner picked his best lineup for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a meeting with Arsenal.

That previous last-eight tie ended in a 3-2 loss at the Emirates Stadium, due to a slightly controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, even though Palace having led at the interval. Now, Glasner must figure out a plan for payback against the current Premier League leaders in a fixture that was moved to this week owing to European commitments.

The Cost of Success and European Fatigue

Glasner has, in a way, been a casualty of his own success. Leading Palace to their maiden major trophy with victory in the FA Cup final subsequently ushered in the challenges of European football for the very first time. These demands are taking a toll on some exhausted squad members, many of whom have hardly enjoyed a rest all term.

The coach fielded an completely different lineup, featuring four youngsters, in their last Conference League match. However, ahead of the Arsenal game, he admitted he will have "little choice" but to choose the majority of his preferred team, which appeared extremely lethargic as they uncharacteristically conceded four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Have to. Yes, have to," he said.

The Gunners' Viewpoint and Team Considerations

On Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the situation are distinct. The boss must balance his desire to win a another major trophy with extreme practicality. Last year, a muscle injury to Bukayo Saka suffered in a league game versus Palace just days after their Carabao Cup fightback greatly damaged their title hopes.

Arteta had implemented a number of changes for that cup tie but was compelled to introduce his "big-hitters" after the break. Saka came off the bench to set up Jesus for a crucial goal in a move that left Glasner "furious" over a potential offside, with no VAR in operation—a scenario that will repeat again on Tuesday.

Arsenal are on an eight-game unbeaten run versus Palace, including seven wins. Gabriel Jesus, who netted a hat-trick in the previous campaign's League Cup meeting and two in a subsequent league win before sustaining a long-term knee injury, looks set to begin for the first time since that injury. Arteta revealed the striker wrote a "beautiful" letter to his teammates about what football means to him.

"We're accustomed to it," commented Arteta on the congested fixture list. "I think this week was the only full week we had to prepare. The period until February at least is will be similar. We have a beautiful opportunity to go into the last four of a tournament so we will be ready."

With important players returning from injury and a determination to advance, Arsenal pose a formidable test for a Palace side desperately in need of rejuvenation as the holiday schedule ramps up.